News24 | Brazil court gives Meta 24 hours to prove impartiality toward Lula and Bolsonaro

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his opponent, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, participate in a televised presidential debate.

Allison Sales/NurPhoto via Getty Images

• Brazil’s highest electoral authority issued US tech company Meta a 24-hour deadline on 19 October to demonstrate that it is affording President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing challenger Flavio Bolsonaro equal treatment on its platform.
• The order came after Lula’s campaign alleged that Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, is suppressing his online content to boost Bolsonaro ahead of the runoff election.
• Meta has denied taking any action to favour one side in the election, but previously said that some of Lula’s campaign ads had been mistakenly deactivated due to technical errors not limited to Brazil.

Brazil’s top electoral court on 19 October gave US social media giant Meta 24 hours to prove it is treating President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his right-wing opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, equally.

The order came after Lula’s campaign alleged that Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, is suppressing his online content to boost Bolsonaro ahead of the runoff election on 25 October.

Meta has denied taking any action to favour one side in the election, but previously said that some of Lula’s campaign ads had been mistakenly deactivated due to technical errors not limited to Brazil.

Lula’s campaign has also alleged inconsistencies on WhatsApp’s artificial intelligence tool, saying Lula-related election content had been limited while Bolsonaro content was untouched.

On 15 October, a judge from the Superior Electoral Court ordered Meta to ensure that the same rules were applied to both candidates throughout the runoff election, among other directives, with a potential daily fine of $100 000 for noncompliance.

The ruling on 19 October said that Meta had failed to demonstrate compliance with the order and increased the penalty to $200 000 per day, according to a court document seen by AFP.

READ | Brazil elections: Lula, Bolsonaro to face off in fiery first debate

“The continued noncompliance, just a few days before the runoff election, demonstrates that the fine imposed was insufficient,” it said.

Lula’s political party, which has filed complaints with the Organization of American States (OAS) and with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, reported fresh technical issues on 19 October.

“We hope Meta stops benefiting Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign,” party communications secretary Eden Valadares told reporters, adding that another complaint would be filed with the electoral court.

Dozens of Lula supporters protested outside the company’s Sao Paulo offices, bearing placards and chanting slogans like “Meta out of Brazil.”

Supporters of Brazil's President and presidential candidate Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hold masks depicting Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg with red horns during a demonstration in front of Meta's headquarters in Brazil, on 19 October, denouncing alleged interference by big tech companies in the Brazilian election.

Nelson Almeida/AFP

“I hardly trust anything I see lately” on Meta-run platforms, video animator Lilian Doring, 47, told AFP.

READ | Bolsonaro clan wins big in multiple Brazil polls

Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed ex-leader Jair Bolsonaro, is the favourite to win the runoff election after coming out on top in the first round earlier this month.

On 18 October, his campaign alleged a “negative propaganda offensive” driven by Lula “with the approval” of Meta.

Polls predict a technical tie between the 45-year-old senator and the current president on the cusp of 81.